Warrington 2nd 54 Sedgeley Park 3rd 10

THE margin of victory, by eight tries to one, is testament to the individual ability that welded this much changed set of players into such an effective team.

Positional changes, with captain Yoxall moving from second row to prop, stand-off Dixon moving to centre and back-rows Woodward and Whitely also taking turns at centre, and personnel changes too numerous to mention had little effect on Warrington’s style and desire to win.

Only at the line-out where there was a certain lack of cohesion and the set scrum where the heavier Sedgeley Park pack exerted a lot of pressure were Warrington not usually in control.

Although all the tries were scored by the backs, the forwards laid the strong foundations.

Yoxall tested the opposition with his direct running and the rumbustuous prop Marland, with a squirming, wriggling, rolling technique, gained extra yards before he was stopped.

No8 Howson was omnipresent in securing second phase ball providing scrum half Hockenhull with quick clean possession.

With 10 minutes gone a wide pass put winger Tickle outside his man and a neat inside return saw centre Riley over the line for Warrington’s first try. Dixon added the extras.

Sedgeley Park pulled a penalty back 10 minutes later but clever interpassing between centres Riley and Dixon and winger Jones resulted in a Warrington scrum deep in Sedgeley Park territory.

A stretch for the line then rounded off a fine individual effort from Dixon to give the centre the first of his three tries. Dixon also converted.

The score remained at 14-3 until the interval despite a 50 yd break by the rangy No6 Woodward which should have earned a try but for the last pass going astray.

Dixon started the second half as he had finished the first with another excellent effort finishing under the posts to stretch Warrington’s lead to 21-3.

Griffiths was next on the scoreboard dummying his way through the Sedgeley Park defence.

The visitors then pulled a try back rumbling over from 20yards out in one of their few forays into Warrington territory.

With 20 minutes remaining Dixon completed his hat-trick selling two outrageous dummies to go under the posts.

Woodward, now at centre, added Warrington’s sixth try finishing off a short penalty move and winger Tickle the seventh when he capitalised on a dropped pass from Sedgeley Park and scooted down the line unchallenged.

With five minutes to go, scrum half Hockenhull instigated Warrrington’s last try with a break from the base of a ruck, a 40 yard scamper and pass to No7 Whitely, now playing at centre, to finish.

Yoxall said: “This was an excellent team effort, all the more gratifying as it was the first time many of the lads had played together.“